Other Man
by TheWalrusAndThePenguin
Summary: How will Booth overcome the fact that his Bones has fallen in love with another man? BB's road to a relationship.
1. The Other Man

**Here's a new one. Not too sure about it, but let me know what you think. It'll probs be about 4 or 5 chaps. Hope you enjoy it!**

Tempe stretched, slowly moving closer to the warmth of her lover. He wrapped his strong arms around her and drew her closer.

'Morning, baby,' he whispered into her ear and she giggled uncharacteristically. She began to softly trace the muscles of his torso with her nails, resting her head on his chest and unable to hold back her smile.

'You're quiet this morning,' he said into her hair. She turned her head to face his chest and began to gently nibble and kiss his collar bone. He took in a deep breath, running his hand through her auburn curls.

'What're you thinking about?' he asked.

'Mmmm,' she whispered. 'Just thinking about how happy I am.'

'You're not going to say "good morning"?' he asked with a grin as she propped herself up on her elbow to face him.

'Good morning, Christopher Lockwood,' she said, reaching out to gently stroke his cheek. Chris gave her a lingering kiss on the lips.

'I've got to get ready for work,' he stood, completely comfortable with his nudity as he walked to the bathroom.

Tempe rolled onto her back, an overwhelming sense of contentment coming over her. She had been with Chris for six months now and had never had a relationship in which she had been so happy and respected. Chris worked as a teacher at the local high school, teaching English and International Studies. He was English, had written four books which were yet to be published. He was unbelievably handsome, with untrainable brown hair that grew at all angles and rich green eyes. As well as his 6 foot 3 tall structure he trained at the gym three times a week and ran six times a week, keeping him lean and built.

Tempe smiled to herself, just thinking of his body got her excited. His nonchalant nature and carefree attitude had changed Tempe's view on life, allowing Chris to bring the best out of her and making her a more exciting person to be around. She slowly got to her feet and began to make her way to the bathroom before she heard knocking on the door.

She picked up one of Chris' work shirts and slipped it over her shoulders, remembering ripping it off him the night before. She made her way to the door, buttoning up the shirt which came down to mid-thigh.

'Coming,' she said, opening the door to find her partner Seeley Booth leaning against the doorframe, a cup of coffee in each hand. His eyes widened at her attire as he handed her a coffee.

'Morning, Bones,' he said with a flirtatious grin. 'You didn't have to get dressed up for me.' Tempe tried to ignore him. Ever since she had gotten close with Chris, Booth had begun to try to outman him, at every opportunity challenging him. Chris' high vocabulary always managed to make Booth feel inferior and Tempe had noticed this.

'What're you here for Booth?' she asked.

'We've got a case. Can I come in?' Booth asked and Tempe shrugged, stepping aside.

They made their way into the living room and Booth leant against the couch.

'Good morning Agent Booth,' Chris said, walking into the room wearing only his suit pants.

'Morning, Mr Lockwood,' Booth teased, a cruel grin coming across his face. 'School today?' Chris just grinned back, walking up behind Tempe and wrapping his arms around her waist, kissing her neck.

'I need my shirt, baby,' he said, loud enough for Booth to hear. Booth's posture visibly stiffened and his face turned to stone as he kept his eyes on Chris.

Tempe chuckled, gently pushing him away before walking back to her bedroom, leaving Booth and Chris.

'So, how's the FBI treating you, Seeley?' Chris asked.

'It's good,' Booth replied stiffly. 'How's teaching going?'

'Well I'm teaching year 11 and 12's this year so it's interesting. Some students are struggling, but as a teacher, you've just got to…' Chris looked to Booth who was staring out of the window. 'Look, Agent Booth, the only reason I'm even making an effort here is because of Tempe, so if you care about her at all, you'll accept me into her life. Sure, I'm a teacher and you think of my profession as lesser than yours, but Tempe loves me and that's how it's going to stay.'

'She doesn't love you,' Booth scoffed. 'She doesn't believe in love.'

'She does now, mate,' Chris said, face set.

Tempe walked into the room wearing her usual work outfit, pants and a dark green singlet. She was holding Chris' shirt as she walked to stand beside him.

'Bones, is this true?' Booth asked.

'Is what true, Booth?' she asked with a smile.

'Are you in love with Lockwood?' Booth asked. Tempe opened her mouth and closed it again, pausing for a second before slipping her arm around Chris' waist as he put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.

'Yes, I think I am,' she said, smiling up at him. 'I love you, Chris.'

'I love you too, baby,' he said, his face widening with his grin. He dipped his head slightly to kiss her gently on the lips before pulling back.

'We've got to go,' Booth hissed. Tempe stepped back, handing Chris his shirt. She pecked him on the lips before walking towards the door.

'Tempe, wait!' he said, getting to her in two strides and taking her into his arms, latching his mouth securely onto hers and kissing her passionately before stepping back, lightly touching her cheek. Tempe's eyes remained closed as she realised her hands were still resting on his bare chest.

'Have a good day, Chris,' she said quietly. She couldn't control the way he made her feel, the fact that he almost always rendered her speechless by just being him. Spontaneous.

Booth exhaled loudly, ushering her out of the door. They walked in silence to the car. Once in the car Tempe noticed Booth's death grip on the steering wheel.

'You don't have to be so cold to Chris,' she said quietly. 'He's not there to annoy you, to split our partnership up.'

'I wasn't being cold,' Booth replied, his tone showing anything but his statement. 'He's not good for you.'

'What do you mean, "he's not good for me"?' Tempe shot back.

'I…' Booth's frown grew, his eyebrows drawing together as he huffed. 'He's not like the men you usually date.'

'Exactly,' she said with a smile. 'He's intelligent, but in a different way. He's charismatic, understanding, incredibly well-structured.'

'Yeah, I get that,' Booth mumbled.

'You're jealous,' she stated simply.

'I don't trust him,' he said, completely ignoring her statement.

'Booth, please,' she sighed heavily. 'Chris is just a normal guy. He's not out to get you, to challenge your manhood, or your…alpha male position or whatever the hell you think about him.'

'We're the centre,' Booth mumbled quietly. Tempe scoffed.

'What's that supposed to mean?' she asked.

'It means that we should hold,' Booth replied. 'The centre can't break.'

'He's not out to get you!' Tempe nearly yelled, a bemused look of her face. 'You're being ridiculous!'

'What about this morning?' Booth shot back.

'What about this morning?' Tempe replied, crossing her arms.

'He was being all…affectionate,' Booth said awkwardly and she smiled, thinking about the feel of his lips on her neck.

'That's generally what boyfriends do,' she chuckled.

'He did it to enforce his possessiveness over you!' Booth nearly yelled out. 'I thought you hated that behaviour!' Tempe frowned, turning to look out for the window.

'He was trying to make me jealous,' Booth muttered.

'Are you jealous?' Tempe asked, turning to face him. Booth pulled the car into the parking lot Jeffersonian, but didn't turn to face her, his hands remaining on the steering wheel of the stationary car.

'Are you jealous, Booth?' She insisted and he let out what could only be explained as a growl.

'Of course I'm not jealous, Bones,' he said gruffly. 'I just don't want you to get hurt.'

'Then why are you acting this way, Booth? Why are you being so defensive of me?'

'Why?' Booth laughing hollowly. 'This is why.' He reached out with one hand, cupping her cheek in his hand before leaning towards her and capturing her lips with his. Tempe struggled, immediately pushing him away. Before either of them knew what they were doing, her hand had collided with his cheek, the sound of her slapping him echoing in the silence of the car.

'Don't you dare,' she hissed. She opened the door and slammed it behind her, leaving Booth with his head on the steering wheel, sighing with the exhaustion of seeing the woman he loved slowly slipping away from him.

**Thanks for reading! Review if you desire to do so (I love reviews) or don't if you don't feel like it today. Maybe tomorrow, or the next you will feel like it. For those shy, silent readers I thank you too!**


	2. I Will Fight For You

**Thanks so much everyone for the awesome reviews!!! Here's the next chap and my other fic "I Need More" should be updated later today. **

_He reached out with one hand, cupping her cheek in his hand before leaning towards her and capturing her lips with his. Tempe struggled, immediately pushing him away. Before either of them knew what they were doing, her hand had collided with his cheek, the sound of her slapping him echoing in the silence of the car. _

___'Don't you dare,' she hissed. She opened the door and slammed it behind her, leaving Booth with his head on the steering wheel, sighing with the exhaustion of seeing the woman he loved slowly slipping away from him._

Tempe stormed into her office, grabbing her phone out of her bag and dialling Chris.

'Hey, baby,' he said as he picked up the phone.

'Chris, I need to see you,' she said, trying to compose herself.

'Tempe, what's wrong? Is everything okay?' she let out a sigh of relief at his soothing voice.

'Yeah, I just need to see you,' she said quietly.

'I have ten thirty until two free,' she heard him reply.

'Can you come to my office?' Tempe asked.

'Yeah, sure, baby. I'll be there in an hour,' he said softly. 'Love you.'

'Love you too, Chris.' She hung up the phone.

'Was that the wonderful Christopher?' she heard Angela coo from her door. She looked up at Ange, a face-splitting grin on her face.

'Yep,' Tempe said, walking around her desk to sit next to Ange on her couch.

'How is he?' Ange asked.

'He's amazing,' Tempe sighed. 'It's Booth who's the problem.'

'Is the FBI hunk jealous?' Angela asked.

'He kissed me this morning,' Tempe blurted out.

'He WHAT?!' Angela yelled. 'What did you do?!'

'I slapped him,' Tempe said looking down at her hands. 'I didn't know what to do. He shocked me and I'm with Chris. He shouldn't have kissed me!'

'Mmmm,' Angela hummed quietly, a frown of concentration on her face. 'Did you feel anything when he kissed you?'

'No,' Tempe replied quickly and certainly.

'Are you sure?' Angela probed.

'Yes,' Tempe's tone was set. 'When Chris kisses me I can feel how much he loves me, but when Booth kissed me…' Tempe paused. 'It just felt wrong.'

'Chris is a great guy, Bren. It's no wonder Booth's jealous,' Ange reasoned.

'Our partnership is barely holding,' Tempe said sadly.

'Sweetie, you have to see it from Booth's point of view. He clearly thinks of you as more than a partner and friend. He can see you getting closer to Chris, he can see that it's no longer okay for him to turn up in the middle of the night with Thai food or to give you "guy hugs". It's got to be hard for him. He knows how you feel about Chris and wants nothing other than to have that with you. He wants you to look at him like you look at Chris.'

'But I love Chris, and I don't love Booth,' Tempe sighed. 'Not like he wants me to anyway.'

'You need to talk to Booth,' Ange told her.

'What do I say to him?'

'Just tell him how you feel. Tell him that you love Chris and are happy in this relationship. You want your relationship with Booth to stay platonic despite possible feelings before you met Chris.'

'I didn't have feelings for Booth before Chris,' Tempe interrupted.

'Bren, anyone could see the way you two looked at each other before Chris. Now it's one-sided. Everyone sees the way Booth still looks at you. I don't think he's coping well, sweetie and you need to let him know where you stand.'

'Okay, well I have to do some paperwork, but I'll talk to him later.' Angela took this as a dismissal and smiled, walking out of the office.

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Booth sat in his office, head in hands, wondering where he had gone wrong. Suddenly he sat up, grabbing his jacket and keys and rushing out of the building. He needed to talk to Bones, to tell her how it had been like for him all of these months.

He arrived at the Jeffersonian just after midday and made his way into the building, scanning his card and stopping outside Tempe's office. Chris was in there.

They were sitting on the couch with their backs to Booth. Booth quickly took in Chris's left hand on her shoulder, his other hand holding one of hers.

'I just don't understand,' her voice drifted in through the open door.

'It's understandable that he's changed,' Chris said softly, rubbing small circles on the palm of her hand. Booth noticed the subtleties of their movements; the way they subconsciously leant into each other, the way they looked at each other.

'We used to be best friends,' he heard Tempe say. 'And now I feel like I never see him. He won't accept that I'm with you.'

'I never meant to get in the way,' Chris said and she looked into his eyes.

'You're not getting in the way,' she insisted. 'You're…always there for me. You're the best boyfriend I've had.'

'But Booth can't accept that,' Chris said. 'Temperance, he clearly has feelings for you. He's radiating jealousy. I love you, and I want to be with you, but I think you're the only one who can't see how he feels for you.'

'I do know how he feels for me,' Tempe said quietly.

'What?' Chris asked quickly.

'He kissed me this morning,' Tempe said and Booth cringed.

'He what?' Chris said though gritted teeth.

'I was telling him to stop being so defensive and said that he was jealous and he just…kissed me.'

'Did you kiss him back?' Chris's hand slipped from her shoulder. She grasped it with both hands.

'Of course not, I pushed him away and…slapped him.'

'I can't believe he kissed you,' Chris mumbled.

'Please don't do anything,' she added quickly.

'I can't just let him take advantage of you!' Chris nearly yelled, standing up. Booth gasped as he saw Chris spot him. He knew he couldn't back down as Tempe's boyfriend came flying at him, a fist raised. Booth stood ready as Chris came through the office door. Chris grabbed Booth by the shoulders and Booth reacted quickly, spinning around to elbow Chris in the back. Chris ducked, taking the force of the blow before successfully landing a blow to Booth's abdomen. Booth groaned in pain as he doubled over. Chris took this opportunity to knee him in his side, but Booth was ready, grabbing Chris by his leg and throwing him to the ground.

Tempe watched on as her partner and boyfriend fought each other. She wanted to intervene, but knew that they were not thinking rationally and she could probably get hurt. Angela, Hodgins and Cam quickly joined her as onlookers, all of them not knowing how to stop this clumsy brawl on the floor. Soon two security guards arrived, both grabbing Chris and Booth and pulling them apart. Both looked a mess. Chris had a split lip and Booth an already bruising eye. Booth was leaning to one side suggesting he was still in pain from Chris' blow to his abdomen. Both men were panting heavily, still trying to recover from the anger-fuelled adrenalin rush.

Booth's attention was focussed on Tempe as he remained in the security guards' grasp.

'I will fight for you, Bones,' he said, pulling himself free, straightening his jacket and making his way towards the exit. Chris made to walk towards her, but she put her hands up.

'Don't, Chris,' she said, closing her eyes for a second. 'I need to think. Just give me some time.' She walked the opposite direction to Booth, leaving Chris wondering what he was meant to do to protect their relationship.

**Thanks for reading. Review, don't review. I like it when you review, but am equally stoked by you guys just reading. **


	3. You Should Choose Me

**Rightio, thanks for all the reviews! Really enjoying the feedback. I had a good time writing this so I'm glad you guys like it. It does suck that Aus is so far behind, but I watch it on the old internet, so don't really have a prob there. In this chap we'll get some BB fluff, so soak it up while it lasts. **

Tempe stood in her kitchen, wondering how she was meant to decide. She wanted Chris, but without Booth she didn't think she would be able to be happy. A knock on the door threw her out of her musings and she quickly opened the door to find Booth standing there, a serious look on his face.

'Bones,' he said quietly, walking closer to her. 'Please, just let me do this. Just bare with me for a bit while I just…' he trailed off, gently cupping her face in his hands. He tipped her head back and leant forward, lightly touching his lips to hers. Her eyes fluttered closed as she felt his tongue trace her lips. She felt her knees buckle and he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her flush up against him. She moaned as his tongue touched hers and he continued to kiss her passionately. Too quickly he pulled back, stepping back as she opened her eyes.

'Temperance,' he said. 'You know how much you meant to me. You know how much I care about you. I've proved to you on numerous occasions that I would die for you. I think you know that I love you. I'm not going to lie to you; I need you to be with me one hundred percent. It kills me that you discovered love with Lockwood and not me. I wanted to be the one who taught you how to love, but he got there first. I know it's a lot to ask, but I want you to love me. I need you to love me.'

'I…' she couldn't meet his eye-line. She couldn't look into those eyes that always broke through every one of her walls. She wanted to tell him that he was the one who taught her how to love. 'I don't know what to say. I love Chris. But kissing you… I don't know who I'm supposed to love.'

'Who do you love, Temperance?' he whispered, cupping her cheek again. 'Who do you really love?'

'I love both of you,' she replied.

'You love me?' he asked.

'Of course I do Booth. We've spent four years being partners. You're physically attractive…you're an amazing father. I was bound to be attracted to you.'

'Please, Bones,' he said. 'I need to be with you. Watching you with Lockwood is killing me. I know you love him, but I love you more than even I thought possible.'

'Booth,' she lowered her head. 'I don't know how to…'

'I'm going to give you time,' he dropped his hand from her face. 'I know that you need to think about this. Just consider what I've said. I…don't want to place an ultimatum on you, but I don't think I can continue watching you with him, or other men in general. Just do what you think is right. Choose who you love.' With that he stepped back, sighing and turning to walk away.

Tempe couldn't believe that all that had happened on her front doorstep. Booth loved her. She stepped back and closed the door.

Chris came much later. It was hours after dark when he turned up at her front doorstep, swaying slightly.

'Chris, are you drunk?' she asked. He stepped forward and took her into his arms, kissing her. She pushed him away.

'I don't know what you see in him,' he slurred. 'He's arrogant, possessive, too serious.'

'He's not always serious,' she defended. 'And his arrogance is reasonable. He's a very good agent.'

'Why are you defending him?' Chris asked. 'He's trying to break us up.'

'He loves me,' she said quietly.

'I love you,' Chris said loudly.

'I don't know who I should choose.'

'Me, you should choose me.'

'I can't live without Booth. I think I can live without you,' she said bluntly.

'Well then, why don't you just marry the guy,' Chris replied loudly.

'I don't believe in marriage,' she replied quickly. 'And I want to be with you.'

'Clearly not as much as you want to be with Booth.'

'I do want to be with you, Chris,' she took his hands gently. 'You know how much you mean to me.' He took his hands from hers and ran them through his hair.

'I don't think I can be with you if he is always there, reminding me that you may still love him. What kind of relationship is that, Tempe? It's him or me, you can't have both. Either he stops being your partner or I walk out.'

'I can't just cut Booth out of my life,' she said.

'It's him or me,' Chris finalised.

'It's not an option. Booth and I work as a team.'

'Then consider this relationship over.'

'I at least need to think about it!'

'You shouldn't have to. We've been together for six months. If you really cared about me, you wouldn't need to think about it.'

'Can we discuss this when you're not inebriated?'

'Temperance, if I have anything to say to you tomorrow, I'll let you know.' With that he turned and stumbled off, leaving Tempe once again alone and without answers.

**There you go! Review if you want, and once again thank you to those who have Story Alerted, Favourited and most of all Reviewed!**


	4. All Along

**A few things I have to say. Firstly, the character of Christopher Lockwood is somewhat fictional, although I did have fun writing him. I have to admit that even though he is getting in between Booth and Bones, I love him. He is actually based on a particularly charasmatic and attractive teacher I had last year, English accent and all. So, based on the fact that this certain teacher was amazing I hate to do this to the character of Chris. Following his real-life counter-part though, this is something 'Chris' would do. **

**So I hope you enjoy the final (maybe, depending on the response) chap of this fic. Hope you enjoy it! **

Tempe decided to go to Chris' apartment first thing the next morning. She needed to talk to him about their argument the previous night. As she knocked on his front door she knew something wasn't right. He answered the door with nothing but a towel around his waist, his hair ruffled from sleep and his eyes half-open. He opened his mouth to speak, but only a groan came out.

'Chris, we need to talk about last night,' Tempe said, stepping past him.

'I…' he began, rubbing his forehead. 'God, it's bright out here. Uh…what happened last night?'

'Do you remember anything?' Tempe said, frustrated.

'To be honest…' he sighed. Just as he was about to unwillingly invite her in, a blonde woman in her twenties emerged from the bedroom behind Chris, wearing only one of his work shirts. He spun around at Tempe's shocked expression.

'I don't remember that,' he murmured quietly. 'Tempe, I am so sorry!'

'I don't have anything to say to you, Chris,' she said quietly. 'It's over.'

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'This is horrible, Bren,' Ange said, an arm wrapped around her best friend on the couch in her living room.

'I don't know what to do,' Tempe replied. 'Should I go to Booth now?'

'He can't be your rebound, sweetie. Especially in this situation. Booth wants to be with you completely.'

'So I just…wait?'

'Maybe you should just forget about men for a little bit. Tell Booth that after Chris you want some time alone. Go back to how you were as partners.'

'Will Booth be okay with that?'

'Talk to him. Ask him how he feels.'

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Tempe arrived on Booth's doorstep. She felt her hands shaking, what was she meant to say to him? After she knocked on the door he answered a couple of seconds later, in tracksuit pants and a singlet.

'Bones,' he said, slightly shocked. 'To be honest I didn't expect you.'

'Can I come in?' she asked, looking at her hands.

'Of course, come in,' he said, leading her to his living room. They sat side by side on the couch. 'So, why are you here, Bones?'

'I need to talk to you,' she said. 'Angela says that I should talk to you.'

'Shoot.'

'I'm not going to shoot you!'

'It's an expression, Bones, it means…uh, just talk.'

'Chris came to my apartment last night, after you. He was drunk and we had a fight. I went to his house this morning and there was another woman there.' At this point Booth visibly flinched in anger. 'I broke it off. Angela says that I should come here, but you shouldn't be my rebound. She said that I should talk to you about how I feel. I don't want this to be a spur of the moment thing. I think I need some time alone. Do you think we can go back to partners? Just for a while. I was with Chris so long that I've forgotten what it was like to be your partner. Do you think that is okay? Do you think that after all this you can forgive me?' She still couldn't meet his eye line. She stared at her lap as he watched her intently. He reached over and cupped her cheek in his hand.

'I've waited four years, Bones,' he said softly, his soothing voice allowing her so sink into his touch. 'I've watched men come and go, I've watched you at your best and your worst. I've fallen irrevocably, unbelievably in love with you. No matter what happens I will always be in love with you. I'll wait as long as you need me to. Just don't meet some other guy.' He grinned and watched as a tear fell from one of her eyes. 'Don't cry, angel. Don't cry.' He wiped away her tears. 'What're you crying about, beautiful?'

'You've always loved me,' she sobbed. 'You've always been there and I never saw it.' He took her into his arms and pulled her onto his lap, kissing her forehead. She buried her head under his chin.

'You mean everything to me,' he whispered, not believing that he was able to say it out loud.

'I'm sorry,' she said, wrapping her arms around his torso. 'I shouldn't have been with Chris.'

'We can make it up,' Booth soothed. 'We can get over this.' She pulled back and looked at him.

'Partners?' she asked with a chuckle.

'Partners.' He agreed, taking one of her hands and squeezing it firmly.

**There's the final chap for now. I really hope you liked it. Thanks to all the people who reviewed! I'm not sure about ending it here, so may update it later on. **


	5. Back to Normal

**Thanks for all of the lovely reviews! I have had a ball reading them and can't wait for more! So after lots of you asked for the continuation of this I couldn't help but put off actual work to write another chap of this. I hope you like it! Note: this was written late at night, so may not be very good. **

-

Ever since their reconciliation on Booth's couch things had almost fallen back into normalcy. Both partners were back to their blatant denial about their feelings for each other, going day by day and coming closer with every moment spent together. The subtle touches had increased. At every opportunity his hand found its way to the small of her back, or around her shoulders. When he was near her all he could think about was taking her into his arms. His hands itched to touch her and he knew that any day he was going to lose his control. He needed her. He had watched her with too many other men and was sick of being the shoulder to cry on.

He couldn't take his eyes away from her. He had stopped trying to cover up his attraction to her, watching her mannerism and movements carefully as her hands skimmed over the bones in front of her. He was well aware that his mouth was slightly open, desperate to hold her once more.

'Down boy, you're practically drooling,' he heard from behind him. Angela patted his back reassuringly. 'She hasn't made a move, huh?'

'No, she wants us to go back to normal,' he sighed. 'After Chris, you know.'

'Do you want me to talk to her?' Angela asked, leaning on the rail behind her. She couldn't take her eyes off the look in Booth's eyes, the absolute adoration dripping off him as he watched his partner.

'Nah,' he shook his head. 'She needs time, I can give her that.'

'You can't wait forever, Booth, she might find another man.'

'I don't want to push her.'

'You won't be pushing her; you'll be giving her a little nudge. She needs the encouragement that you're ready for this as well.'

'I don't know Ange. When she says she's ready, I'll be ready. She told me she wants time.'

'Femoral Patella Dysfunction Syndrome,' Brennan called from the other side of the platform, the victim's skull still held tightly in her hands. 'Victim would be no older than sixteen and very active. This syndrome is present in teenagers when they have grown too much in a short period of time while participating in weight-baring exercise.'

'Right,' Booth stepped forward, just as Cam and Nigel-Murray made their way onto the platform. 'So what does that mean?'

'It is a problem that mainly teenage girls suffer, very common,' Cam said as she joined Brennan at the side of the lab-table. 'It's when the thigh muscle is built up too much in a short period of time so pulls the knee-cap over to the outside of the knee. There is not enough tissue growth at this point of resistance between the knee-cap and the femur so the knee-cap grinds against the bone beneath.' There was a resounding groan from Booth and Angela. 'It's not that bad. I had it as a child, it's really not as painful as it sounds.'

'Is it too common to use in a missing persons?' Booth asked.

'Definitely,' Cam said, holding her hand up to Nigel-Murray who was about to interrupt with an explosion of facts. 'But if Angela recreates a face then we can compare it to missing persons.'

'Great,' Booth clapped his hands together. 'I'm going to go and interview the gardener who found the body. Bones, are you coming?'

'Yes, Booth, I just need to get my bag,' she slipped the gloves off her hands and dropped them into the bin before leading Booth to her office.

Booth leant against the doorway of his partner's office, watching as she slipped out of her lab coat. He was there behind her to help her into her jacket, allowing her hands to linger on her arms, not missing the chance to gently graze her waist.

'Ready to go Bones?' Booth said, a slightly husky tone talking hold of his voice. He realised that he had gotten lost in the moment, and dragged her into it with him.

'Yeah,' she replied, equally as breathlessly.

'Let's go,' he said, his hand taking its spot on the small of her back and leading her out of the office.

-

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-

It was much later that night when Brennan found herself standing below a wall double her size, her partner positioned closely beside her.

'So what we're going to do,' Booth explained, his hands moving with excitement. 'Is I'll hoist you up over the wall, you'll pull me up and once we're on the other side we'll try and find the murder weapon. Got it?'

'Yeah,' she nodded quietly, although he was having trouble seeing in the darkness of the night. 'But shouldn't we just get a warrant? Wouldn't that make it easier?'

'Caroline said that we didn't have enough evidence for a warrant,' Booth sighed. 'And it'd take too long anyway.'

'Alright, let's go,' Brennan said, turning away from Booth. He put his hands on her waist.

'Jump,' he said and she pushed off the ground, allowing him to lift her onto his shoulders. He grunted with the strain as her weight was only on his arms for a second, but straightened up to let her reach out and touch the wall. 'Are you alright?'

'Shouldn't I be asking you that?' she chuckled. He gripped her thighs, trying to steady himself.

'Alright, Bones,' he panted. 'You need to jump onto your feet on my shoulders. Here, hold my hands.' He lifted his arms to take her hands in his own. He felt her lift off his shoulders, gripping his hands tightly. Then she swung over his head, her feet landing on his shoulders before he felt her slowly let go of his hands and rest against the stone wall. 'So, just hoist yourself up.'

'"Just hoist myself up"? That's easy for you to say, down there all secure,' Brennan muttered.

'Don't you trust me Bones?' he asked. 'You're perfectly secure.'

'Of course I trust you, Booth,' she said. 'I just find it hard to hold that trust when I'm on your shoulders about to break into a million dollar mansion.'

'I would never let you fall,' he said quietly and she knew he wasn't talking about their current balancing act.

'I know Booth,' she said quietly. She leapt forward, gripping the top of the wall tightly as he pushed her feet, helping her to the top. Booth scampered around to a nearby tree and quickly climbed to a branch sweeping across the middle of the wall. Stepping out onto the branch he balanced himself before leaping forward and gripping the edge of the top of the wall. He felt two small hands grab hold of his forearms and yank him onto the top of the wall.

'Now to the other side,' he panted. Without warning he leapt from the wall, landing on the balls of his feet metres away from the wall. He got up out of the crouching position, jogging back to the wall and lifting his arms.

'Jump,' he yelled. She hesitated for a second before leaping down into his arms, knocking them both to the ground. The wind knocked out of him, Booth struggled to realise the close proximity of him and his partner, or the way his body was responding to this proximity. Booth was spread-eagled on the ground, Brennan draped over his body. One of her legs was in between his, her thigh resting snugly against where he would least like her to be focussing on. She looked down at him, her hands rested either side of his head. Their breath mingled. Their noses were close to touching.

'Bones,' he whispered. If he wasn't so winded, he would probably have been able to close the inches separating them. She leapt to her feet.

'We should get going,' she said, helping him to his feet. As they both were on their feet they were able to comprehend their surroundings. A large expanse of neatly groomed grass lay in front of them, a swimming pool cracking through the green. Booth was hardly surprised when an alarm sounded throughout the gardens. He grabbed Brennan around the waist, hearing the distant cries of the gardener, their main suspect, and ran towards the pool.

'Come on,' he said to her, pulling her with him as he slipped under the pool cover. He pulled it over their heads and rested against the wall of the pool. He felt his jeans and t-shirt clinging to his body and noticed the same was happening to her. He held her close to him, feeling the water drip over their heads.

She felt his warm arms around her waist and saw her hands resting on his chest, practically groping the well-formed pectorals beneath his drenched shirt. The lights from the house shone the pool cover a brilliant blue, lighting up their little tent. Only their heads remained out of the water and she felt him entwine his legs with hers. Her gaze was focussed on his lips and, when she looked up, she saw that he was equally as fascinated by hers.

'So…' she whispered. 'What now?'

-

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**Thanks for reading! Review if you like! **


	6. As Normal As We Can Be

**So here's the next chap. I'm having a lot of fun writing this with all the support from the reviews so keep reading and reviewing! It's the only way I know if you're enjoying it as well. **

_Her gaze was focussed on his lips and, when she looked up, she saw that his was equally as fascinated by hers. _

'_So…' she whispered. 'What now?' _

Booth took a deep breath, the only sound that of their short, separate gasps. He heard footsteps crunch on the dried leaves nearby and held Brennan closer to him, praying that they didn't get caught.

'Who's there?' the thick southern accent of the gardener reached them. 'I heard you, I know you're there. You kids think you can just wander other people's gardens?' Brennan chuckled quietly and Booth pulled her impossibly closer, their bodies now flush against each other.

'Shhh,' he whispered, a small chuckle escaping his own lips.

'Where are you?' the gardener cooed menacingly. Booth could tell he was near and hoped that the edge of the pool hid them from sight. He didn't want to take this risk, however, and looked his partner in the eye.

'Bones, we're going to have to go underwater,' he whispered, so quietly that he wasn't even sure she heard him. He wasn't even sure he was speaking; surely he was just mouthing the words. Luckily, she nodded in understanding. 'On the count of three, slowly slip underneath the water. One, two, three.' He gently pulled her under and felt the water cover his head. He opened his eyes to see her looking right back at him. As they had moved underwater they had parted and her hands now rested on his forearms, keeping him close.

As the seconds passed he could see the strain of Brennan holding her breath and felt his own lungs tighten. He slowly pulled her closer and put his hands back on her waist, releasing a small bubble of air from his mouth. He cut of the squeal of shock from her with his mouth as he softly pressed his lips to hers. She opened her mouth to him instantly, allowing him to share her air as she began to move her lips against his. He tried to convince himself that this was purely for survival, but couldn't help that tiny voice in the back of his mind telling him that making out with his partner under water was, perhaps, the sexiest thing that had ever happened to him.

When they could no longer last on the air in their lungs, he gently pushed off the bottom of the pool, propelling them upwards so their heads popped out of the water. As they both gasped for air Booth couldn't help revel in the silence surrounding the pool.

'I think he's gone,' he whispered, but was cut off as Brennan grabbed the front of his shirt, pushing him against the wall of the pool. 'Bones, what-' he gasped as she slammed their mouths together. Her hands moved to cup the back of his head, winding their way through his wet hair and pulling him closer to her. One of his arms wound around his waist, the other reaching up to cup her head as he lowered his to get a better angle, allowing her tongue to sweep into his mouth. He moaned as she pulled away from his mouth, slowly kissing her way along his jaw.

'God, Bones,' he whispered as she began to gently nibble on his collarbone. Her hands moved to trace the muscles of his torso and he knew that she must have felt the effect she was having on him.

'Bones, Bones,' he said, trying to pull her up to him. 'Not here, Bones.' His whole body screamed at him for stopping this delicious torture, but they needed to get away. 'We've got a get out of here.' He saw the hurt in her eyes for a moment, but within seconds she was nodding and quickly pushing the cover from their heads. She lifted herself from the pool, her body sweeping against his. He couldn't follow her fast enough, scampering up onto the edge of the pool.

Getting back over the wall proved much harder when they were both drenched, but once they were both on the other side they took no time in sprinting across the road and through the park to the where they had left Booth's SUV.

Once they stopped running Booth realised how cold the night's air was and saw that Brennan was shivering.

'Do you have any spare clothes?' she asked and he nodded, taking the keys out of his pocket and opening the boot. Luckily he had his gym bag, complete with a clean towel, two pairs of tracksuit pants and a shirt. He passed her the dry shirt and a pair of tracksuit pants before pulling off his wet shirt, chucking it into the boot.

As she pulled off her own shirt, revealing the black lace bra underneath he couldn't help but want to take her back into his arms. She muttered something about his natural lack of modesty and well-defined physique before taking off her jeans. He turned away, realising that he had been blatantly staring at his partner's amazing form. He quickly changed into the dry tracksuit pants and dried his chest off with the towel before slinging it around his shoulders. Once they were both somewhat dry and changed they jumped into the car and began the drive back to their apartments.

'That was close,' Booth said after a while to break the silence.

'Yes, lucky you thought of the pool,' she said with a smile.

'Bones I think…' he wished. 'We should forget about the whole 'pool' thing. We must have just gotten caught up in the moment.'

'Fine,' she said coldly, looking out of the window.

'Bones, it's not that I didn't enjoy it, because believe me, I did, but we need to stay professional. That's what we agreed on, right?' She didn't reply. They continued the drive in silence.

**Okay, there you go. What more could you have wanted? I had fun writing this because, let's be honest, who wouldn't with a shirtless Booth? Or shirtless Brennan if that's what float's your boat. So if you liked all the pool fun and angst, let me know! I would love a review!**


	7. Ready yet?

**Thanks for reviewing! Here's the next chap!**

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Booth arrived at Brennan's house just before eight, his suit long ago forgotten back at his apartment to be replaced with jeans and a grey shirt. It had been a long day, complete with the wrap up of a case regarding the murder of a seventeen year old foster child and her unborn baby as well as the arrest of one of her teachers who had been in a relationship with her for months. When he had found out that she was pregnant he had killed her and the baby. Booth knew that Brennan hadn't held up too well during the case and had done his best to stay supportive, but she was hesitant to trust him after the evening in the pool.

He knocked on the door three times, his signature knock. He waited for five minutes before he heard scrambling and the door swung open in front of him.

'Wow,' he murmured when his partner revealed herself. He didn't even have time to process the red dress that hugged her figure, the low neck-line and slit up the side revealing a bit too much for Booth to handle.

'Hey Booth,' she said in a rush. 'I'll be leaving in a moment, but come in.'

She walked back quickly, fumbling with an earring on her right ear as she retreated back to the bathroom. Booth leant against the back of the couch, watching the doorway of the bathroom for another chance at seeing her amazing dress.

'Where're you going tonight, Bones?' he asked with a chuckle.

'I have a date,' she called from the bathroom. 'He'll actually be here soon.'

'Who is it?' Booth asked, slightly crestfallen at the fact that she would be spending the night with another man.

'Dr. Daniel Lloyd from archaeology. He asked me out a while ago, but I was with Chris. Now I'm free, so I decided to accept his offer. We're going to some sort of charity benefit,' she walked out of the bathroom, making a beeline for her bedroom across the hallway. She came out wearing black high heels with red straps winding their way around her ankles, but Booth wasn't focussed on her ankles. It was the first time that night that he had to take in what he was seeing, to completely admire her. Her hair was up in a bun, a small red clip holding it in place on the side of her head. Her eyes were framed with light black eye-liner and mascara, the red bringing out the rich blueness of her eyes.

'What'd you think?' she asked quietly. His eyes were locked on hers, the undisguised emotion within them.

'Bones, you look amazing,' he watched her, completely serious. He saw the blush creep into her cheeks as she brought her hand up to subconsciously check her hair.

'No,' he whispered, moving to stand right in front of her. He took her hand in his, moving to hold it between them. The lifted up his other hand, cupping her cheek. 'You're beautiful. Really beautiful. I don't know if I've ever told you that, Bones, but I need you to know.' He lowered his lips to hers, gently kissing her. She sighed into his mouth, everything around them evaporating except for that damn knocking. They flew apart as they realised that the knocking was her date; the man who she had dressed up for.

'We have to stop doing this, Bones,' he said quietly with a chuckle. 'You better go and see the doctor.'

'I don't know if I want to now,' she whispered, her arms resting around his neck. 'Can't we just stay like this all night?'

'I think he might notice,' Booth replied. 'You go, I'll see you tomorrow at work. We can talk about this.'

'You're sure?' she asked.

'Of course, just don't let him try anything.' Booth gave her one last peck on the lips before walking back to her bathroom. He didn't know how he did it, let her go on a date with another man after sharing perhaps one of their most intimate moments. He just knew that he had to wait. For how long, he didn't know.

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**Hope you liked it! Review!**


	8. Fire and Angst

**Okkkkkkay. I'm going to opening admit that I'm cruel. After promising some resolution, I come up with this little chap, that'll hopefully make you want more! I hate to do this cliche storyline, but couldn't resist. I love you awesome reviewers and readers so hope that you like this chap anyway! Here you go:**

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Booth was barely watching the game. His eyes were glazed over, the movement of the players not at all rising him from his musings. He considered his relationship with his partner. Every touch, hug, emotion, moment shared between them. He grinned softly, thinking of her smile, the shared kisses between them. He wanted more than anything to be in a relationship with her, but didn't want them to rush things.

He was disrupted from his thoughts as a light knocking came from his front door. He practically leapt to his feet, begging it to be his Bones. He opened the door to find Angela.

'Angela?' he stared at her, slightly annoyed. 'What're you doing here?'

'Booth, there's been an accident,' Angela said quietly.

'Bones,' he whispered and Angela nodded.

'There was a car-bomb out the front of the function centre where Bren was on her date,' Angela continued and Booth saw tears in her eyes. 'People are injured, killed. I saw it on the news and came here.' His heart broke at her words, completely shattered. He felt his chest tighten, his voice catch in his throat. Shock overcame him, rising in his chest as he began to breathe heavily.

'We have to go,' Booth said, his face paling as he grabbed his keys and slammed the door. Angela trailed in his wake as they ran down the stairs and to his SUV. Booth's hands were shaking as he fumbled with his keys to open the lock and jumped inside.

He turned on his siren, his mind racing as he sped through the late night traffic. Angela didn't even make to object to his erratic driving, she wouldn't have been able to speak if she tried. Booth knew where to go; he had peeked at her invitation when he was at her apartment earlier that night, just in case he felt the desire to interrupt.

When they finally arrived at the conference centre the scene that met them was horrifying. The front of the building was in ruins, flames seeping up into the night's sky, reflecting a brilliant orange on the emergency crews below. Firemen and civilians alike were scampering around the ground. The area had not yet been blocked off as police needed the help of civilians; they needed people to help the burning people out of the building. As Booth hastily parked his car on the curb and opened the door the sound of the chaos was possibly more disturbing than the sight. Screams and sirens filled the air, the harsh stench of fire, ash and smoke rising in his nostrils.

'Stay here,' he said to Angela, his eyes focussed on the scene in front of him.

'I…'

'Ange, I can't focus on finding her if I think you're in danger.' She could see the tears in his eyes and nodded.

'I'll see if I can help with the people they've found so far,' she said over the fresh sound of a siren.

'Call Hodgins to come and look after you,' he said and she nodded. They were both in too much shock to object to the other's suggestions.

'Stay safe,' she said quietly. She knew that there was no stopping him. He glanced at her one more time before sprinting into the chaos, only one thing on his mind.

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The smoke was close to unbearable. Booth's lungs tightened as he moved closer to the building.

'Level two,' he muttered to himself, remembering the invitation. He knew his only way in would be through the back which remained somewhat intact and sprinted towards the back of the building, finally reaching an emergency staircase.

As he sprinted up the stairs he passed firemen with the injured slung over their shoulders as well as the injured helping the injured. He tried to ignore these horrific images that burned their way into his mind as he reached the second floor. He didn't hesitate in shooting the lock on the door before running into the room. The second he opened the door a wall of black smoke hit him. He fell to his knees.

'Bones!' he yelled. In response he heard more of the building begin to collapse. 'Temperance!'

He got back on his feet, coughing slightly as he scampered around the vast room. Luckily this area was mostly undamaged, but flames were creeping their way through the room, by the looks of the opposite corner. The room remained quite empty, most people having abandoned it when the first explosion rocked the building.

'Bones!' he yelled again.

'Booth!' the faint reply that he heard made his heart soar. He ran towards the voice. 'Bones, where are you?'

'Over here, by the stage!' she coughed. Through the smoke he saw her figure, trapped under one of the pillars that were meant to hold up the roof. When he reached her side he took no time to lift the pillar slightly, the adrenalin giving him further strength as she crawled out from underneath. He saw the weakness in her eyes.

'Bones, stay with me,' he lifted her easily into his arms. 'Come on, Bones you need to stay with me.'

As he made his way back to the stairwell he began to feel dizzy, his mind beginning to swim through the haze of his smoke-filled lungs. The stairwell was a feat in itself, the steep concrete stairs challenging for Booth while he was carrying Brennan. As the building began to shake he ran faster, finally reaching the bottom door and throwing it open. He practically collapsed on the other side, the sight of ambulances in front of him such a relief that his whole body gave up.

Brennan still wrapped in his arms, he allowed the cold night's air to wash over him. He felt a hand on his shoulder and moved slightly to look at the young ambulance officer standing over him.

'Sir, are you alright?' the man asked. 'Is she alright?' Booth looked down at Brennan, placing his hand on her cheek. Her beautiful blue eyes were hidden under her lids, her dress blackened from the ash. He could see the long gash running up her leg from where the pillar had cut her and bruises forming on her arms.

'I don't know,' he whispered, a single tear rolling down his cheek and into her hair. 'I don't know.'

-

**Did ya like it? Bombs, fire, smoke. Fun, fun, fun. Written pretty quickly, so let me know if I went wrong. I'm sorry if I'm not really tying chaps together, but I'm trying to keep an entertaining story. The following chaps should be more flowing. **

**Review!**

**-**


	9. Finally Together

**Thanks for all of the reviews! I will admit that I really didn't like my last chap, but it just came to me. I hope it didn't disrupt the story too much, for now I hope to finish this story. This will be the last chap of this fic. Here you go!**

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They were in the hospital for hours. The amount of people suffering from serious burns and injuries seemed to outweigh those with smoke inhalation and small cuts. Booth and Brennan were both treated for smoke inhalation. She regained consciousness in the ambulance on the way to the hospital as she was given oxygen. Now they sat on a hospital bed in the hallway, watching as doctors and surgeons rushed past, as well as worried family members.

'Are you okay, Bones?' he whispered and she leant her head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her snugly against his side. He placed a gentle kiss on her head. There didn't seem much more to say. They had checked the wall of people who had been admitted to the hospital and found a picture of Daniel, who had been treated and released for smoke inhalation. During the panic of people leaving they had been split up and he had gotten out intact. After a quick phone call Booth had assured him that Brennan was fine and being treated for the cut on her leg. Angela had been given a lift home with Hodgins once he arrived, pleased with Booth's insistence that Brennan was alright.

Brennan reached over to take Booth's hand in hers. 'You saved me again.'

'Didn't I tell you that I'll always be there?' he looked down, meeting her gaze. He rested his forehead on hers. 'You have to stop nearly dying, Bones.'

'I'll try,' she whispered with a chuckle. She closed her eyes, resting her head on his chest. 'Let's go home.' He smiled, squeezing her gently.

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The following days were hectic to say the least. The news was riddled with theories and accusations about who dared to launch an attack on the conference centre. Booth had stayed at Brennan's apartment for one night, but returned to his own to allow her to have her space. With all the police reports and time off work it was late the following week that he was able to return to her apartment, Thai food in one hand, beer in the other.

'Booth!' she said happily as she opened the door. He followed her into her kitchen, putting the Thai food down and handing her a beer.

'I've been so bored, Bones!' he nearly yelled. 'Daytime TV is horrible. I can't wait to get back to work on Monday.'

'I've been entertained,' she said. 'I've written three new chapters for my book.'

'Well I've been bored,' he said, leaning against the counter and sipping from his beer. 'How's your leg?'

'It's a bit sore, but healing well,' she relied. They fell into an awkward silence.

'What happened to us?' he asked.

'What?' she looked at him quizzically.

'We used to be the best team, partners, the centre,' he said. 'And ever since we realised that we couldn't keep our hands off each other we just fell apart.' She nodded silently.

'Before I went on my…' she swallowed stiffly, 'my date, you said that we would talk about this…us.'

'So there's an "us"?' he asked, raising one eye-brow, his charm smile crossing his face.

'Of course. We've known each other for four, nearly five, years. We're obviously attracted to one another. You've saved my life numerous times.'

'You've also saved my life,' he said quietly. Another silence washed over them, this time its presence was not unwelcomed. Booth remained leaning against the counter, Brennan opposite him against the fridge.

'So what now?' she asked. He closed the gap between them, one hand falling to her hip, the other coming up to cup her cheek.

'Are you ready for this, Bones?' he asked quietly. 'I mean, _really_ ready for this. Do you want to have a relationship with me?'

'Yes,' she replied seriously. He gently lowered his lips to hers, barely brushing their mouths together. When he pulled apart their eyes locked. 'I imagined this differently.'

'You've imagined this?' he asked, chuckling. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him in a close embrace before spinning her around the room, her feet lifted off the ground. She laughed against his shoulder. When he softly dropped her back to the ground she left her arms wrapped around his neck. 'How exactly did you imagine this?'

'Torn clothes, passionate kisses, eventually making love,' she said. He looked at her with a interested grin.

'Making love, huh?'

'You promised me that one day I would make love,' she said quietly.

'And you will,' he grinned. He paused for a second. 'Passionate kisses?'

'Yes, I assumed that when we first crossed your line that it would be passionate. Angela says that we have sexual tension between us.'

'I think that could be arranged,' he said quietly before lowering his lips to hers once more. He started slow, but when she opened her mouth to his he was unable to help himself from gently pressing his tongue to hers. He lifted her up, gripping her thighs to allow herself to wrap her legs around his hips. Pushing her against the front door, he kissed away her moan of pleasure. He launched a full-blown assault on her lips, gently nibbling on her lower lip. She gasped as he began to place kisses along her jaw-line. When he reached her ear he pulled back, looking up at her.

'I need you to know that I love you, Bones,' he whispered, the husky tone not going unnoticed by her. He could see the shock in her eyes and gently kissed her lips. 'I don't need you to reply,' he added quickly.

'I…' she took a deep breath. 'I think I love you too.' He couldn't hide his joy, his child-like grin reaching his eyes.

Hours later they lay together, both still wrapped in the other, legs tangled, arms clutching onto the other.

'Booth?' she asked, her head lifting off his chest.

'Yeah, Bones?' he said breathlessly, his hand absentmindedly moving through her hair.

'I love you,' she said, her eyes connecting with his.

'I love you too, baby,' he whispered.

'Baby?' she looked at him sternly.

'Yeah, get used to it,' he chuckled. She didn't even bother arguing, moving to rest her head against his chest once more.

It was then that the partners were finally able to become what they had been for so long. Lovers in every way.

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**Cheesy huh? Review if you liked it, also let me know if you didn't. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed!**


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